Safety switch cutout for automatic laundry machines



Jan. 6, 1953 H. E. MORRISON 2,624,464

SAFETY SWITCH CUTOUT FOR AUTOMATIC LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Nov. 8, 1947 aSheet-Sheet 1 v 4 g l I HAROLD Nome/501v J6 fizM Jan. 6, 1953 H. E.MORRISON SAFETY SWITCH CUTOUT FOR AUTOMATIC LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed NOV.8, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 jz zz's'rizcyr HAROLD E. Nome/501v PatentedJan. 6, 1953 UNITED STAiTES PATENT @FFICE SAFETY SVVE'EQH fiUTOU'f. FORAUTGMATIC LAUNDRY MACHINES Harold E. Morrison, St. Joseph, Mich,assignor to Whirlpool orporation, a corporation of New York 2 Claims.

My invention relates to safety switch cutouts and more pamticularl to animproved safety cutout operable to energize a laundering machine whenunbalanced loads exist therein.

In one form of laundering machine, the clothes being laundered arepartially dried by disposing them in a rotatable basket and rotating thebasket at high speed to generate centrifugal forces to force out thewater retained by the clothes. In a practical home laundering machine,the basket used for this purpose is relatively large in order toaccommodate a large number of clothes. If the clothes are unevenlydistributed within the basket, therefore, it is possible for the centerof mass of the clothes to be displaced to a considerable degree from theaxis about which the basket rotates, thus causing the generation oflarge unbalanced vibratory forces which overload the machine and aretransmitted to the floor upon which it rests.

In accordance with the present invention, elements are provided todeenergize a laundering machine if the unbalanced load in the rotatingbasket thereof exceeds apredetermined maximum value. To this end, a bellcrank arm is formed with one end to engage the energizing switch for themachine and the other end to engage the member which sustains therotating basket. The switchv is mounted on the housing of the machinefrom which the basket support member is yieldingly sustained, thiscausing the pivot point of the bell crank to be relatively fixed andcausing the crank arm to be struck and defiected when the rotatingbasket vibrates more than a predetermined amount. This deflectionengages the energizing switch to cause axial shift thereof anddeenergize the entire machine, thus indicating to the user theunbalanced condition of the basket and preventing damage.

The device of the present invention is particularly useful in connectionwith automatic laundering machines of the type wherein a completeclothes washing, rinsing, and drying cycle is automatically carried out.With these machines, the user may start the machine in the washing pantof the cycle and leave the machine to carry out the remainder of thecycle. The apparatus of the present invention automatically deenergizesthe machine if the unbalance of the clothes in the basket exceeds a safeamount even though the operator is not present, and thus prevents damagethat might otherwise occur with the unattended machine. Ordinarily, theuser is not aware of the unbalanced load of the clothes basket portionof the mechanism during 2 the washing part of the cycle, since theclothes basket is not then under rotation. Moreover, it is possible forthe load to become unbalanced while washing is taking place.

it is accordingly a general object of the present invention to providean improved safety cutout for laundering machines.

Further it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedsafety switch cutout particularly useful in connection with automaticlaundering machines and which may be applied thereto with maximum ease.

Anether object of the present invention is to provide an improvedswitch-actuating device operable upon a predetermined displacementbetween two relatively movable members.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedsafety cutout particularly suitable for use with switches operable uponaxial shifting of the shaft thereof.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide animproved safety cutout having features of construction, combination, andarrangement rendering it simple and inexpensive in construction andreliable in operation to the end that a unit of maximum utility isachieved.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My inventionitself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with. further objects and advantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of an automaticlaundering machine incorporating the features of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the axis IIII,Figure 1, but showing the time switch, bell crank, and actuator bar inside elevation.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through the axis III-IIL Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the axis IV-IV,Figure 1, and showing the timer switch housing broken away to expose theswitch elements,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the eyelet portion ofthe bell crank.

Figure 6 is a View like Figure 4 but showing the switch in the trippedcondition.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary axial cross-sectional view showing in furtherdetail the construction of an automatic laundering machine of the typeto which the present invention is applicable.

In the fragmentary top plan view of Figure 1 there is shown the cornerof the outer housing or shroud I of an automatic laundering machine. Theedges of this housing are rounded off as indicated to form a horizontaltop portion l2. This portion forms a circular opening at the centerthereof, which opening provides access to a vertically disposedrotatable clothes basket on the interior of the machine for addingclothes thereto or removing clothes therefrom. A cover I4 fits on topportion l2 to cover the opening when clothes are not being transferredtherethrough.

A cycle control switch, indicated generally at I6 and having knob l8,extends through an opening in the upper surface 12 of the housing Hi.This switch controls the automatic operations of the unit and rotateswith time to achieve this control. As is described in further detailhereafter, the knob l8 of this switch is depressed or lowered toenergize the laundering machine and commence the automatic cycle ofoperations and may be lifted or raised at any time to deenergize theunit and stop all further operation.

As will be evident from Figure 2, the switch IE is supported from thevertical wall or skirt l3 of the housing It: by a pair of brackets and22 which are attached by spot welding or other suitable fashion to thehousing l0 and to the switch l6. These brackets are shown in top planview in Figure 3.

As will be evident from Figures 2, 3, and 4 the top plate 24 of theswitch 16 extends over the side thereof to form two spaced tongues 25and 21. These are bent to form looping portions which define a pair ofaligned tubes through which extends the shaft 30. This shaft forms thepivot shaft about which the bell crank portion of the mechanism rotates.

The bell crank portion of the mechanism is indicated generally at 32,Figure 2, and includes a horizontal loop portion 32a which nearlyencircles the shaft 34 of the switch I 6 as will be evident from theview of Figure 3. As indicated in Figures 2, 4, and 6 this loop bearsagainst the under surface of knob ill. The bell crank 32 extends fromthe loop portion 32a in a substantially horizontal direction asindicated by the portion 321), Figure 4, but having an offset portion32c to raise it to bearing relation with the under surface of knob 18.It is then bent downwardly to form the lengthy downwardly extendingportion 32c which may be seen in the views of Figures 2 and 4 and whichis engaged or struck by the arm 36 to tilt the bell crank 32 anddeenergize the machine.

The bell crank 32 is attached to the shaft for pivotal movementthereabout by the portion 32d which is bent to form an eyelet encirclingthis shaft as indicated in Figure 5.

The bell crank 32 may be constructed of any suitable material. Onematerial that is particularly suitable for this purpose is ordinarysteel wire or rod which may be bent to the shape indicated and which hassuflicient rigidity to trip the switch l8 when the lower portion 320 isstruck.

The arm 36 which actuates the bell crank 32 is attached to the tub 38,Figure 3, by spot welding or other suitable means. As indicated in theview of Figure 2, this arm is of angle iron. The tub 38 encircles thebasket 40 and constitutes a rigid support member therefor so that as thebasket 40 vibrates due to unbalanced load of clothes, the

tub 38 partakes of this vibration and arm 36 likewise moves. As ispointed out in further detail hereafter, the tub 38 is yieldablysuspended from the housing ill.

The eyelet portion 32a of the bell crank 32 fits snugly underneath theknob [8 of the switch l6 as indicated in Figure 4. When the lowerportion 320 of bell crank 32 is struck by the arm 36, the bell crankswings about the axis of shaft 30 to the position indicated in Figure 6.In undergoing this movement the portion 32a of the bell crank swingsupwardly to raise or lift the knob IQ of switch [6 and cause the latterto deenergize the laundering machine.

The switch It may be any one of many constructions. In the particularform shown in the drawings, this switch includes a shaft 34 which issupported from the plate 24 by the bearing 40. A flexible disk 42 havingan inner insulating portion 42a, Figure 4, and an outer annularconducting portion 42?), Figure 4, rides on the shaft 34 and is fixedfor upward and downward movements therewith. A pair of contactors 44 and46 are fixedly mounted in the switch l6 by suitable means (not shown) tobe engaged by the disk 42 when in the depressed position of Figure 4 andto be free of disk 42 in the raised position of Figure 6.

The switch formed by the contactors 44 and 46 and the annular conductingdisk 52b is interposed in electrical circuit relationship between themotor and other portions of the automatic washing machine and the sourceof power therefor, thus causing the machine to be energized when themechanism is in the depressed or lowered position of Figure 4 and to bedeenergized when in the raised or lifted position of Figure 6.

It is the function of the bell crank 32 to shift the switch I 6 from thedepressed or lowered position of Figure 4 to the raised or liftedposition of Figure 6 when the unbalanced load in the basket 40, Figure3, exceeds a predetermined amount. This operation takes place by reasonof the fact that the basket 40, together with the tub 38, is mountedfrom housing ID on a yieldable mounting capable of moving in accordancewith the unbalanced or vibratory forces associated with rotation of thebasket 40 when carrying an unbalanced load. When these forces aresufficient to cause movements of the tub 38 and the arm 38 to thepositions indicated by the dotted lines of Figure 3, the arm 35 engagesthe lower portion 320 of the bell crank 32 to tilt that crank about theaxis of shaft 30 and thus raise or lift the portion 32a thereof. Theengagement between the portion 32a of the bell crank 32 and the underside of knob it causes the former to push the knob l8 upwardly andthereby shift the switch l6 from the condition indicated by the view ofFigure 4 to that indicated by the view of Figure 6.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a laundering machineof the type to which the principles of this invention may beadvantageously applied. As indicated in this view, the

- basket 40 may be a well known form of perforate basket similar to thatshown and described in Patent No. 2,521,159, which was issued to P. E.Geldhof and Luther Ringer on September 5, 3, and is no part of mypresent invention which is not herein shown nor described. The basket 40is disposed within the tub 38 and is attached to the outer shaft 48 forrotation therewith. This shaft is sustained within the tub 38 by thesupport plate 53 which likewise sustains tub 38. An agitator 52 may bedisposed on shaft 54 to agitate clothes within the basket 40 when thetub 38 is filled with water, thereby agitating the clothes in washingmovements when washing is desired. Extracting water from the clothes maybe accomplished by rotating the shaft 48, and hence the basket 40, athigh speed with no water in the tub 38 and discharging the waterextracted from the clothes through the perforate wall of the basket.

The assembly comprising the agitator 52, the basket 40, and the tub 38is yieldingly supported within the housing ID for movements relativethereto. Such support may, for example, comprise a plurality ofresilient mountings 56 located at intervals about the periphery of thetub 38 and held by resilient end supports 58 and 60 which are anchoredto the housing l0 and the tub 38 respectively. These mountings providevibration isolation between the tub 38 and the housing in by permittingmovement of the former without imparting substantial forces to thelatter.

It will be evident from the foregoing that when the basket 40 is in anunbalanced condition and rotated at high speed, relatively largevibrational forces are imparted to the tub 38 which imparts like forcesto the mountings 56. These forces are transmitted to some extent to thehousing It] and to the support for the machine, and, if of excessivemagnitude, may cause unpleasant effects and possibly damaging of theequipment. However, with the mechanism of the present invention, whenthese forces reach a dangerous value, as indicated by the movements oftub 38, the unit is deenergized by lifting of the knob l8 of switch 16,which occurs when bar 36 engages the bell crank 32.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will, ofcourse, be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto sincemany modifications, both in the elements employed and their cooperativestructure, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. I, of course, contemplate by the appended claims to cover anysuch modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of myinvention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a laundering machine of the type having a housing with asubstantially horizontal top portion and a clothes-containing basketdisposed in said housing; a support plate resiliently supported fromsaid housing to support said basket for rotational clothes-dryingmovement about a substantially vertical axis and having a non-rotatabletub mounted thereon and extending upwardly along the outside of saidbasket; a switch mounted on said housing and having an operating knobextending upwardly for operation from said top portion of said housing,said knob being operable in the depressed condition to energize saidmachine to impart said movements to said basket and in a liftedcondition to deenergize said machine, said switch further having a pairof spaced tongues extending over one side thereof and bent to form apair of aligned tubes to receive a common shaft; a shaft disposed insaid tubes; and a bell crank comprising a rod bent to form an eyelet tobear underneath said knob and form one arm of said crank, said rodhaving another portion extending downwardly to form the other arm ofsaid crank to be engaged by said tub, and having an intermediate portionbent to form a loop about said shaft in the space between said tonguesto form a pivotal support for said crank, whereby said crank lifts saidknob upon predetermined relative movement between said support plate andsaid housing.

2. In a safety cut-out adapted to cut out power from a drive member fora gyratory body, upon excessive gyratory movement thereof, a supportframe, a non-rotatable base member flexibly suspended therefrom andhaving the gyratory body rotatably journaled thereon and also having anarm mounted thereon, a depressible switch mounted on said frame adjacentthe top thereof and including a top plate having a vertically movableplunger movable therein and having an operating knob on the upper endthereof accessible from the top of said frame, a bell crank memberjournaled on said top plate for movement about a horizontal axis andhaving one lever arm extending in a substantially horizontal plane alongsaid top plate and encircling said plunger in position to engage saidknob, and another arm depending from said top plate in a generallyvertical direction for engagement with said arm on said flexibly mountedbase member upon excessive vibrating movement thereof, and moved by saidarm to pivot said bell crank in a direction to engage the bottom of saidknob and raise said knob and plunger to open said switch upon excessivevibration of said base member effected by excessive gyratory movement ofsaid gyratory body.

HAROLD E. MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,129,628 Berry Feb. 23, 19151,570,315 Newhall Jan. 19, 1928 1,946,725 Andrews et al Feb. 13, 19342,026,510 Moyer Dec. 3, 1935 2,035,481 Hume Mar. 31, 1936 2,172,731Coles Sept. 12, 1939 2,275,510 Dietrich et a1. Mar. 10, 1942 2,311,545Hurley et :al. Feb. 16, 1943 2,423,381 Glogau July 1, 1947 2,447,226Bennett Aug. 17, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 202,767 GreatBritain Aug. 30, 1923

